BI nabs Japanese national for fraud

THE PHILIPPINES arrested a Japanese national believed to be a key member of the so-called “Luffy” transnational crime syndicate, which engages in fraud and cybercrime schemes, its Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Sunday.

Operatives from the BI’s Fugitive Search Unit apprehended a 28-year-old Japanese man in a residential area of Taguig City on Aug. 1.

The arrest was carried out in coordination with Japan’s National Police Agency and the Philippine National Police’s Intelligence Group.

The suspect is wanted by Japanese authorities for his alleged role in a sophisticated fraud operation that targeted elderly victims. The Tokyo Summary Court earlier issued a warrant for his arrest on theft charges under Japan’s penal code.

According to Japanese police, the man and his associates posed as law enforcement officials to obtain victims’ ATM cards and personal data, which were then used to siphon off large sums of money.

“The arrest of [the man] is a major step forward in dismantling foreign criminal syndicates exploiting Philippine territory,” BI Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado said in a statement.

The suspect is believed to be among the last active members of the “Luffy” syndicate, a Japan-based criminal network that reportedly operated from the Philippines and is suspected of stealing over ¥1 billion (roughly $6.3 million) through fraud and cybercrime schemes. A series of joint operations in recent years has led to the group’s near-dismantlement.

Immigration officials said his passport had expired in October 2024 and that he failed to apply for renewal, making him an overstaying and undesirable alien. The Japanese Embassy in Manila had earlier flagged him as a fugitive who posed a threat to public safety.

He has been transferred to the BI’s Warden Facility pending deportation proceedings. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana